California Nurses a Royal Pain for Billionaire Candidate

[Omaha Steve]

http://labornotes.org/blogs/2010/07/california-nurses-royal-pain-billionaire-candidate


When billionaire Meg Whitman, who has never held any political office, decided to use her personal fortune to run for California’s highest office, the California Nurses Association dispatched "Queen Meg" to mock her enormous wealth and expose her destructive agenda. Photo: CNA.

by Eileen Prendiville | Fri, 07/30/2010 - 11:54am

When billionaire Meg Whitman, who has never held any political office and seldom even bothers to vote, decided to use her personal fortune to run for California’s highest office, the California Nurses Association challenged her with political satire.

Drawing on a history of street theater and direct action that defeated outgoing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s worst anti-worker ideas, CNA hired an actress for the “Queen Meg 2010” campaign. With her entourage of nurses in red scrubs and blond wigs, Queen Meg followed Whitman to high-ticket fundraisers during the primary election, mocking her enormous wealth and educating the public about what a Whitman administration would mean for patients, nurses, and all working people in California.

The decision wasn’t hard for the union: Take on the former eBay CEO—sometimes described as “Schwarzenegger on steroids”—before the election, or spend the next four years fighting the damage she’ll create? If elected Whitman will begin dismantling health and safety protections attained over many years of hard work. She has said she will cut back 40,000 state workers (including, more than likely, public health nurses), pensions, meal and rest breaks, and overtime protections.

Whitman amassed her fortune on the backs of working people at the companies where she presided. Workers suffered layoffs as jobs were outsourced and manufacturing plants were closed. Benefits and pensions were reduced for those remaining, while at the same time Whitman gave herself and her executives hefty compensation packages and stock options.

CNA plans to follow Whitman relentlessly on her campaign trail until the November election. One of the dangers of political satire, however, is that some may not understand the humor, especially when English may be a second language. With an estimated 20 percent of the California electorate Latino voters, CNA will have to work hard to counteract Whitman.

FULL story at link.

[mucifer]

1. I was in the CNA in the '90s. It was great I worked 24 hours a week in a Kaiser Hospital

and got full time benefits. I was really spoiled. Now I work in Chicago for a small non profit hospice. They treat us pretty well. But, the union in CA was amazing.

Thanks for posting this article Steve.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Good for them!

She more than deserves this.

I hope CNA will figure out a way to reach the Hispanic voters. We need them.

Recommended.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

3. Get your "Meg Dick Cheney in drag " T-shirts here

http://www.cafepress.com/Offwiththeirheads

[Scuba]

4. Go Nurses !!!